About us

The world’s biggest international organisations rely on us to help them make the right decisions in a fast-changing world. We combine the knowledge, experience and energy of the whole firm to solve our clients’ most complex challenges, wherever and whenever they arise.

We have particularly strong experience in energy and natural resources, infrastructure and transport, telecoms, banking, automotive, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods and food and drink. We are also active in litigation and arbitration proceedings, both in Russia and other jurisdictions.

Our team of more than 50 lawyers work closely with other members of our Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) team based in Germany, Austria, France and the UK. We advise western and CIS clients on cross-border transactions such as international M&A and international capital markets transactions, in particular American and global depositary receipt programmes based on Russian securities and IPOs.

The consortium was awarded the 30-year concession to reconstruct and operate the airport in 2009, one of the first major international PPP projects in Russia.

Reconstruction with a total capex in excess of €1bn was financed by a consortium of project finance lenders including EBRD, IFC and VEB, and a number of other development and commercial banks.

Pulkovo is the third busiest airport by passenger traffic in Russia and an international hub. The deal is regarded as the first major international M&A transaction in respect of a completed and operational PPP asset in Russia.

The project is a major federal PPP in Russia currently in construction, with the estimated capex of over €1.5bn.

The deal is regarded as a key precedent for future federal and regional concessions in terms of all types of relevant documentation, and our role as the sponsors’ counsel gives us the benefit of knowing these documents inside out.

Severstal is a steel and steel-related mining company with major assets in Russia as well as investments in other regions. This transaction is the first-ever Russian bond issuance, and one of the first emerging-market bond issuances to achieve zero-coupon pricing.

The bonds are being issued by a subsidiary of, and guaranteed by, Severstal and are convertible into global depositary receipts of Severstal listed on the London stock exchange, each representing one ordinary share of the company.

This is the third convertible bond issuance from Severstal, following on from deals in 2013 and 2016 on which Freshfields also advised.

The team is well organised and effective. The level of service provided has always been exemplary and of the highest standard across all projects.Client quotation, Chambers Europe 2017 (corporate/M&A, Russia)